Gabriel Bolaños

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Gabriel José Bolaños (b. 1984 Bogotá, Colombia) is a Nicaraguan-American composer of solo, chamber, orchestral and electronic music. Bolaños received a BA in Music from Columbia University and a PhD in Music Theory and Composition from UC Davis. His principal composition teachers include Mika Pelo, Pablo Ortiz, Laurie San Martin, Fabien Lévy and Sebastian Currier, and he studied orchestration with Tristan Murail.

Bolaños is Assistant Professor of Music Composition at Arizona State University, where he teaches courses in composition, music technology, and acoustics. He was visiting lecturer at Bates College for the 2018-2019 academic year and taught courses in music theory and music technology. As a 2016-17 Fulbright Visiting Scholar in Nicaragua, he was composer-in-residence and visiting conductor for the UPOLI Conservatory Orchestra, and visiting professor at the UPOLI Conservatory of Music. He is co-founder and artistic director of Proyecto Eco, a Nicaraguan new-music ensemble. He has also helped organize artistic and cultural exchanges between US and Nicaraguan musicians. Beyond his work as a teacher and composer of concert music, he has also written music for film, theater and dance, and has experience performing as a flamenco dance accompanist.

Ordered by year. Most recent works appears first

Chamber Group ( 2 - 4 instruments )


Nosotros hemos puesto los muertos for bass flute, violin, cello, contrabass and amplification (2021)
Slide for electric guitar quintet (2021)
Discourse for sax quartet and fixed electronics (2020)
Babel for string quartet (2019)
Mombacho for harp, guitar, cimbalom, double bass and electronics (2019)
Isorritmia for three bongos (2016)
Khora Khora for flute and piano (2016)
Tessellations for flute, violin, cello and piano (2016)
Soilasara for two speaking violinists (2015)
Sonora for flute and clarinet in b-flat (2015)
Sonorita for flute and clarinet in b-flat (2015)
Ouroboros miniatures for two guitars (2008)

Soloist (Instrument or Voice) and Fixed Electronic Media


Pixel Streams for violin, video and electronics (2021)
Loy for percussion and electronics (2020)

Saxophone Quartet


Discourse for sax quartet and fixed electronics (2020)

String Quartet


Babel for string quartet (2019)

Soloist (Instrument or Voice) and Real Time Electronics


Los Minúsculos for cello and electronics (2019)
Los Minúsculos for solo bassoon and electronics (2018)

Voices and Instruments


En abril no llueve for soprano, ensemble and electronics (2019)
Anónimo for soprano and ensemble (2014)

Ensemble (Instruments or Voices) and Fixed Electronic Media


Star Mango for clarinet in b-flat, bassoon, trombone, violin, cello, balloons and fixed electronics (2016)
A Trip Down Market Street for ensemble and silent film (2012)

Instruments and Electronics


Pixel Streams for violin, video and electronics (2021)
Loy for percussion and electronics (2020)
Los Minúsculos for cello and electronics (2019)
Los Minúsculos for solo bassoon and electronics (2018)
Star Mango for clarinet in b-flat, bassoon, trombone, violin, cello, balloons and fixed electronics (2016)
Ecosystem for ensemble (2015)
A Trip Down Market Street for ensemble and silent film (2012)
A Trip Down Market Street for ensemble and silent film (2012)
Anónimo for soprano and ensemble (2014)
Babel for string quartet (2019)
Discourse for sax quartet and fixed electronics (2020)
Ecosystem for ensemble (2015)
En abril no llueve for soprano, ensemble and electronics (2019)
Isorritmia for three bongos (2016)
Khora Khora for flute and piano (2016)
Los Minúsculos for cello and electronics (2019)
Los Minúsculos for solo bassoon and electronics (2018)
Loy for percussion and electronics (2020)
Mombacho for harp, guitar, cimbalom, double bass and electronics (2019)
Nosotros hemos puesto los muertos for bass flute, violin, cello, contrabass and amplification (2021)
Ouroboros miniatures for two guitars (2008)
Pixel Streams for violin, video and electronics (2021)
Slide for electric guitar quintet (2021)
Soilasara for two speaking violinists (2015)
Sonora for flute and clarinet in b-flat (2015)
Sonorita for flute and clarinet in b-flat (2015)
Star Mango for clarinet in b-flat, bassoon, trombone, violin, cello, balloons and fixed electronics (2016)
Tessellations for flute, violin, cello and piano (2016)